Hello everyone! I will be away this weekend and well into middle of next week doing fun outdoorsy stuff where probably a computer will not be very useful (but I will be reading, of course, so reviews will likely be upcoming!).

In the meantime if you like zombies chasing you for your brains you might like this. Also, my brother recently finished that Battlestar Galactica series and I asked him to write a review to post on my blog so here it is:

Battlestar Galactica – a typical Sci-fi series? I think not.

Hi all. I’ve recently concluded the last of 4 seasons of Battlestar Galactica, which I really can’t get out of my head. I have to say, this is one of the best TV series I’ve ever watched. With elements of political intrigue, mystery, drama, romance, action, religion, philosophy and spirituality, it packs plenty of brain food and is not your typical pew pew fire the lasers sci-fi.

First off, the story is deeply rooted in realism. Although humanity has reached a certain level of technological advancement, it isn’t overdone. You don’t get that detached feeling that often breaks your suspension of disbelief. For instance in Star Trek, (no offence to you trekkies out there, I’ve watched a few season here and there myself), your brain has to cope with the fact that the universe is a messy, messy place with thousands of species of all shapes and sizes. I mean, the crew of several ships are composed of guys with ridged foreheads, cyborgs and all other manner of strange alien species for goodness’ sake.

In Battlestar, there is a clean dichotomy between two species: humans, and their creations, the Cylons. There are no lasers or phasers, shields or cloaking devices; just good old artillery and bullets, which is oddly comforting in a way. Hearing the muffled whirr of artillery being fired in space, or seeing a nuclear warhead soundlessly detonate is something that can strangely be related to on a visceral level.

On the subject of visuals, many sci-fi series or movies fall short. To create futuristic technology and sets is a daunting challenge, especially on the shoestring budget that many TV series are unfortunately allotted. On many levels I can relate to how these people feel. Many times i’ve felt majorly turned off and sometimes even disgusted with the way some science fiction or fantasy books have been interpreted on screen, even knowing that the production crew did the best they could on the budget they had. I can tell you one thing though, the visuals on Battlestar will not let you down. Simply put, they are visually stunning and will serve to awaken your imagination.

Visuals are just the tip of the iceberg though, in terms of elements that make this show work. It is primarily a character centric show, and over the various episodes, I can honestly say that I started to bond with many of the characters. I’ve watched many series in my life, and most of the time when somebody dies it’s like oh, now he’s dead. ok… moving on. I attribute this to the suspension of disbelief that I was talking about. I understand that characters need to be killed off in unbelievable ways sometimes, but often it’s just the script writers’ way of adding more unneeded drama to the show or simply to break monotony… and frack that kind of scriptwriting! In Battlestar people die, but the suspense of disbelief is not broken. People die because of events which have long been leading up to their deaths, or due to unforeseen events just like in real life! Because of this, you are able to bond with the characters knowing that their lives and deaths will be considered in a careful manner, and that they will not be disposed of at the scriptwriter’s whim. Anyways, i’ve been blabbing on and on -don’t even get me started on the awesome soundtrack accompanying and complementing the show.

There is so much more to say about the story, characters and themes but in the end, it is really something that you just have to experience for yourself!

7 comments

Mm, this show. I need to return to it — I binged on it for a few weeks, and then eventually gave up in the middle of the third season. I think I must return to it soon and watch all the way to the end. Damn, that’s a good show.

Jenny: You should definitely finish it! Nothing like kicking back on a weekend and binge watching a good tv show, haha

Parul: If you have a wordpress account, there should be a button somewhere at the top of the page.

Jim: Firefly was amazing; it’s such a shame it got cancelled. Thanks for reading and i’m glad you’ll be watching more of the good stuff 🙂

Charlotte: Haha that made me laugh! You’ll be surprised to know that in the new Galactica, Starbuck was cast as a woman!

Elizabeth: You know, I get where you’re coming from completely. At first I felt the same way as you… “whats with this girl, always hanging around, draping herself over men and whispering in their ears…”. All I can say is give it some time and her character will make sense in the context of the story! Thanks for reading!

I liked Battlestar far more than the miniseries and first season would have suggested. I recently finished it myself, and by the end I was completely immersed. My only complaints would be the awkwardness of the final episode (which I recently wrote about on my blog) and the show’s unwillingness to kill people. I don’t mean that they should have made deaths more arbitrary, but sometimes the characters’ rescues were just too unbelieveable. Overall though, great show. But I warn you – DON’T WATCH CAPRICA. It was not cancelled in the middle of the first season without reason.